If we set up a lawn using the traditional method, i.e. sowing, we have to wait about 4 weeks for it to turn green, and even 3-4 months will pass before you can play a ball on it. By choosing a roll turf, this time is shortened to less than a month. But that's not the only advantage of a finished lawn. First of all, it can be arranged throughout the season, also during hot summer and even the first autumn frosts, when sowing grass is doomed to failure.
Turf is simply more resistant to adverse conditions than sprouting grass. In addition, roll turf is easily accepted on slopes with a slope of more than 15%, i.e. in places where the traditional method would not be able to set up a lawn because the seeds would run off with the water during watering or raining.
Preparations for the cultivation of a rolled lawn
The area for the turf needs to be tidied up and carefully leveled. All the holes and hills will make it difficult for us to mow later. Then you need to get rid of the weeds. The easiest way to do this is to use complex chemicals such as Roundup. Spray it on undesirable vegetation, and after 3-4 days, when the weeds are completely dry, dig the area.It cannot be done earlier, because the preparation is biodegradable in contact with the ground.
In order to grow quickly and nicely, grass needs a light, permeable and humus-rich soil with a slightly acidic pH (pH 5.5-6.5). Therefore, if necessary, we should improve the soil properties by mixing the clay soil with sand, and the sandy one with de-acidified peat and compost soil. Roll and rake the dug and leveled soil.Roll turf is produced using two methods - the grass can be sown into the ground or onto a thin layer of substrate spread over the foil.
In the first case, it grows for about two years, regularly watered, mowed and fertilized. Then it is removed with special machines along with a layer of soil 2-3 cm thick.Unfortunately, during this treatment, the grass loses 1/3 to 1/2 of its roots.Although it is dense, stiff and dark green at first glance, it may turn yellow after laying, as it will take a long time for it to rebuild the root system. Therefore, the turf produced in this way should be laid only in spring and autumn, when it is not threatened by heat and prolonged droughts.
The grass produced on foil grows slightly shorter and has more delicate blades. This method of cultivation ensures, however, that its root system remains intact, so the grass takes on faster in its new place, and thus is not so sensitive to overdrying. A good quality turf has evenly trimmed stripes of equal thickness, which makes it easier to lay. Let's also check if the grass is he althy, lush green and free of weeds.In addition, you need to pay attention to the color and length of the roots. They should be white and strongly outgrow the entire surface.
Remember
Freshly removed turf does not crumble at the edges, and when lifted by the edge, it does not tear or fall into pieces. Before we start to spread the turf, we need to carefully rake the soil again, shaking it to a depth of about 3 cm.The individual stripes should be placed "on a brick", that is, so that the joints in the adjacent rows do not constitute one line.
Then each part of the lawn must be carefully pressed to the ground. If we do not press down the patches of grass, an air cushion will remain under them, preventing the grass from taking root in the ground. As a result, when the thin layer of soil from the roll begins to dry out, the plants will not be able to collect water from the soil and will dry up despite abundant watering.
A freshly established lawn should not be walked on for 2-3 weeks, because this is how long it takes for plants to rooting in a new substrate.
Watering a lawn from a roll
The most important thing is to water well every day for the first two weeks. If this is not ensured, the dried turf patches will shrink and bulge. Gaps will appear between them and the grass will begin to turn yellow. When the turf is rooted, it is enough to water it regularly every 2-3 days; in hot weather, of course, more often.
Roller mowing
The lawn is mowed for the first time when it reaches approx. 10 cm and grows well into the ground (approx. Three weeks after laying). Then we repeat the treatment every week.
Fertilizing the lawn from a roll
At the beginning, we should not feed the turf, because the abundance of nutrients inhibits the development of young roots, and at the same time they are very sensitive to the excess of mineral s alts in the substrate. We start fertilization with the regular mowing of the lawn, i.e. one month after its arrangement. It doesn't really matter whether we use a regular granular fertilizer, a long-acting, slow-acting preparation or a liquid fertilizer.Remember, however, that the lawn must not be supplied with power later than at the beginning of August. The grassland "fed" abundantly in September will "forget" about the coming winter and will constantly sprout new blades.
